


On the Way Out

by Inkforwords



Series: It's the little things [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Slight Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-22
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 08:00:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/937532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkforwords/pseuds/Inkforwords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek has one more stop to make before he leaves Beacon Hills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Way Out

“We need to make one more stop.” Derek says, putting the car into park. Cora glances out the window and thankfully doesn’t say anything if she notices the Sheriff’s cruiser parked a few houses down in the driveway. She obviously knows where they are. They've already said goodbye to everyone else. “I’ll be quick.” He murmurs, unbuckling his seat belt.

She nods and settles back into the seat, letting her head rest on the window. Derek lets his grip loosen on the steering wheel and slowly gets out of the car. “Derek,” She says softly, making him pause and look up at her. She gives him a small, reassuring smile. “Take as long as you need.” 

Derek swallows, his grip tightening momentarily on the door before he nods at her, lips twitching and closes the door with a soft click. He shoves his hands in his pockets and heads down the street, avoiding the front door completely and going around the side of the house to where Stiles’ window is. The light is on and he tilts his head to listen in on the house. Stiles is in his room, muttering about his history paper as he types away at the computer and from the sound of it, the Sheriff is in the kitchen. 

With a sigh he climbs up to the small part of the roof outside Stiles’ window and crouches there. Stiles is sitting at his computer desk, long fingers typing away as he mutters and leans over to look at one of the many books thrown open on every available surface. His room looks like a disaster, but Derek knows he has a lot of homework to catch up on from the last couple of days. He’s illuminated by the soft glow of his desk lamp, giving him a soft, golden haze, a stark contrast to the darkness that now resides around his heart. 

Derek waits a few more minutes, silently watching Stiles as he works, taking the sight in and ingraining it into his memory. There are many little things about Stiles that Derek wants to keep, to lock away and never share with anyone. And little moments like this, where Stiles leans back in his chair and bites at his fingers while mumbling about his paper. Or the way he lifts his arms over his head and stretches, making the smallest, softest of noises that makes chills shoot down Derek’s spine and heat unfurl in his gut. The way he scratches at his stomach, long blunt fingers rubbing against the taut muscle of his stomach, the dark patch of hair that disappears under the waistband of his jeans. 

He swallows roughly and quickly reaches out to rap gently on the window. No matter how softly he does it, it still surprises Stiles, who flails so hard he nearly tips his chair over. “You asshole.” Stiles mutters, planting a hand to his chest, his heart picking up wildly as he makes his way to the window and unlocks it to let Derek inside. 

Derek slides in smoothly and stands there as Stiles leans back slightly to look at him, a frown on his face. "You going somewhere big guy?" Stiles says as he reaches out and tugs at Derek's leather jacket. He hasn't worn in lately and Stiles had taken notice not too long ago that Derek had stopped wearing it. Honestly it was because he didn’t have a use for it in the warmer summer weather, but even on cool nights he’s stopped. 

When Derek doesn’t say anything and he sees the confusion in Stiles’ eyes before the realization of Derek’s silence hits him, and Derek remains silent, frowning because he doesn’t know what to say. Stiles’ scent turns bitter and sour as he frowns and looks away, running a hand through his hair. 

Derek swallows roughly and shoves his hands back in his pockets, shoulders hunching as he tries to think of a way to explain this to Stiles, in a way he knows Stiles will understand best. He watches as Stiles walks to his bed and sits down heavily, his entire body seeming to sag. 

“You’re leaving.” Stiles whispers, rubbing his hands up and down his jean clad thighs, Derek tracks the movement. It’s not a question, but Derek finds himself nodding anyway. Stiles heart picks up and that startles Derek into looking up at him, watching his eyes go distant and his scent turns to something similar to burnt ozone or lightning hitting the earth. 

Derek moves quickly to kneel in front of him on the floor, ducking his head to look at Stiles’ face but Stiles looks away, avoiding his gaze, his cheek heating. His scent is so overpowering this close that Derek can feel the blue ebb into his eyes and he blinks to clear it. He hasn’t had this much trouble controlling shift in a long time, part of him knows it’s from thinking Stiles was dead partly because of his power shift from alpha to beta. 

“Stiles.” He says softly, one hand reaching out, hovering over Stiles’ knee before he hesitates and drops it onto the bed, unsure if Stiles would welcome his touch right now. He tilts his head, trying to once again catch Stiles’ gaze and Stiles is trying his hardest not to look at Derek, his brow furrowing and his hands clenching tightly at his jeans. “Stiles, please look at me.” Derek murmurs, his voice cracking on the please. 

Stiles looks then, when Derek’s voice cracks and something in that pleading tone makes Stiles look and the look in his eyes makes Derek’s heart feel like it’s splitting in two. He breathes in sharply and reaches up with his other hand to cup Stiles’ cheek. His skin is warm and a little raspy from stubble, and his eyes flutter at Derek’s touch, but his lips thin into a firm line, his jaw sets with determination. . 

“I have to do this.” Derek whispers as he strokes his thumb over Stiles’ cheek and gives him a very weak smile, one that Stiles definitely does not return. 

“You’re going when I need you the most.” Stiles whispers, swallowing thickly, his throat bobbing. Derek closes his eyes, breathing in deeply, Stiles scent is thick up this close and his clovey scent clogs Derek’s senses. 

“You don’t need me.” Derek murmurs, opening his eyes when Stiles’ scent turns bitter again and his body tenses. Derek strokes his thumb over Stiles’ cheek again and lays his other hand on Stiles’ thigh, absorbing the warmth through his jeans. He looks Stiles in the eyes and sees how tired and sad he looks, but he can feel the anger and the frustration coiling through him. “You have Scott, Allison, Lydia, your dad, you don’t need me Stiles, you never have.” Derek says, his voice rough as he says those words, because as much as they hurt to come out they’re true. Stiles has never needed him, not in the way that Derek has needed him. 

Stiles makes a frustrated sound in his throat and tugs his head out of Derek’s grasp, eyes narrowing, his hands reaching up to rub through his hair in frustration. “You don’t get it.” he says, rubbing his hands over his face, his shoulders slumping, the look over utter defeat washing over his features as he lowers his hands. His eyes have gone sad and tired, like there is an ache deep inside him that won't dissipate, Derek knows that feeling well. 

“I can feel it, every day. The power of the Nemeton dragging me down, the darkness around my heart. I can’t sleep and I constantly feel like I’m in that basin drowning.” He whispers, his hands starting to shake and Derek closes his eyes briefly at Stiles’ words, remembering what it feels like to be drowning, to think you’re going to die underwater. He reaches out and places one hand over Stiles’, squeezing his hands. “Sometimes…” Stiles whispers, his words cutting off as he lets out a ragged sigh, “sometimes seeing Scott and Allison isn’t enough. Simple touches from them work sometimes, but when I feel that darkness creeping in...like my vision is blurring and I feel like I’m trapped, grasping at anything to keep myself grounded, do you know who I think of?” Stiles says and Derek knows, he knows in his gut because he does the same thing. When things get bad or terrible he thinks of Stiles. 

“I think of you. Your stupid car, or the look on your face that time I dragged you IKEA, or the time I held you up in 12 feet of water for hours. Or the first time you kissed me this summer, or I think of the look on your face the time I woke up and found you watching me sleep, like I was something special to you, like you couldn’t believe I was there.” Stiles whispers and Derek feels tears prick at the corner of his eyes because of the devastation in Stiles’ voice. He knows he hurt Stiles immensely because of pushing him away and then things with Jennifer and those are things he can never take back. 

“Listen to me, okay?” Derek says, letting go of Stiles’ hand to slide both hands up Stiles’ neck, cupping his face in his hands. Stiles’ eyes are wet with tears, but he makes eye contact when Derek grips his face, holding him firmly yet gently. “I will always be there for you, do you understand?” Derek whispers, and waits for Stiles to nod before he continues. “But I have to do this Stiles. I have to go find my family that survived the fire. You know how important that is to me.” 

“I know.” Stiles croaks, reaching up to rub at his eyes with one hand, letting it drop and rest on one of Derek’s after he’s finished. Derek gives him a sad smile and strokes his cheek with his thumb, gently pulling Stiles’ face closer to his. He doesn’t kiss him, he doesn’t deserve to, not yet, but their breaths mingle as they breathe in slowly, Derek tilting in closer to rest his forehead against Stiles’. 

“You call me whenever you want, whenever things get bad. And if I don’t pick up, you call Cora. I’ll update you as often as I can. But I need to do this.” Derek whispers, his fingers tightening briefly when Stiles squeezes his wrist. 

“Okay…” Stiles whispers, sniffing again and Derek lets his eyes fall closed, lets his grip loosening until his hands are sliding slowly down Stiles’ neck, tracing the length of his neck, memorizing the feel of Stiles’ pulse under his fingers. He doesn’t say what needs to be said, that they need time, specially after all that has happened. They still haven’t talk about it and he suspects it will be a long while before they do, and they aren’t okay, far from it, but if there is one thing Derek has learned it’s that Stiles never gives up on him and he has to learn to do the same. 

Derek stands then, fingers still lingering on Stiles’ neck, gentle and warm against his pulse. Stiles tilts his head up to watch him. Derek has to shove down the urge to lean in and kiss and mark the pale skin. Stiles fingers are clutching at Derek’s jacket, knuckles turning white as his eyes plead for Derek not to go. Derek’s eyes flutter closed again and he slips one of his hands through Stiles’ hair, watching as his own eyes flutter closed. He leans down and presses a kiss to Stiles’ forehead, sighing when Stiles makes a noise in the back of his throat and leans into it the touch. 

“I’ll be back.” Derek says when he pulls away, letting Stiles’ hands drop lifelessly to his lap. Stiles sniffs and wipes his eyes on his sleeve and watches Derek as he backs slowly towards the window. He gives Stiles one last nod and a weak little smile before towards the window, he stops with one leg on the roof, the other still inside when Stiles speaks. 

“See you later.” Stiles whispers and it makes Derek’s lips twitch in a small little smile recalling the memory from their time over the summer. When Derek had talked to Stiles about his family and how his mom had always told him that when the extended members of the pack left it was never a goodbye, because it wasn't permanent, it was always a ‘see you later’ because regardless of how much time they spent away, they’d return sooner or later. 

He glances back at Stiles, watching those bright honey eyes never leave him until he gets fully out the window. Derek nods again and Stiles gives a little flick of his fingers before Derek forces himself to turn around and jump down from the roof and slowly make his way back to Cora.

**Author's Note:**

> There will most likely be more of these, parts that happen before that I haven't gotten around to writing. And then most likely one while Derek is away and possibly his return. Find me on tumblr under cutewolfboys!


End file.
